Cloke may be heading west
TRAVIS Cloke has talked to Richmond, the Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne officials as he plots an escape route out of Collingwood.
The out-of-favour Pies goalkicker has held meetings with coaches Damien Hardwick, Luke Beveridge and Brad Scott.
It is understood Beveridge is keenest to lure the 29-yearold, who is desperate to get out of Collingwood.
Scott and the Kangaroos have since ruled out making a play for Cloke after a change in list-management direction led to the controversial delisting of Brent Harvey, as well as Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito and Nick Dal Santo.
The Dogs are in the box seat, with Cloke understood to favour a move to the Whitten Oval in what will most likely be a two-year deal.
The dual All-Australian would partner Tom Boyd and the returning Stewart Crameri in attack in the absence of the injured Jack Redpath and Beveridge believes he would help solve his side’s efficiency problems inside 50m.
Any Pies-Dogs trade would be dependent on how much money Collingwood was willing to contribute to Cloke’s 2017 pay packet, which will reportedly be around the $400,000 mark.
Bulldogs midfielder Lin Jong, who toured the Magpies’ facilities in July and remains out of contract, could also be a factor in any deal.
Beveridge has been cagey on the topic of Cloke.
“We seem to be linked to everyone at the moment. I don’t know why,” he said when asked about the big Magpie.
“If we’re becoming that way because it’s been identified we’ve got a good environment, our players enjoy being here and our exploits on the field, that’s brilliant.
“It’s really encouraging, but it hasn’t been instigated by anyone here and I’m not sure where it’s all coming from.”
Cloke had his exit meeting with coach Nathan Buckley yesterday and will leave for a Bali holiday with fiancee Rebeccah Panozza next week. He will have a medical assessment tomorrow, but does not need any off-season surgery.
At 29 and with an injuryfree year behind him, the Cloke camp believe he has three good years ahead of him.
A 20-disposal, 12-mark, four-goal game in the Pies’ Round 16 win over Greater Western Sydney encouraged potential suitors that he could go a significant way towards recapturing the form that made him a dominant force.
Hardwick this month did nothing to douse speculation the Tigers could were circling the forward, declaring Cloke a “great player”.
“He’s hurt us a number of times over the course of his career, hasn’t he? But he’s a great player there’s no doubt about that,” he said.
Cloke was dropped three times in a tumultuous 2016 season that saw him play only 13 games and fall behind Darcy Moore and Jesse White in the forward line pecking order.